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The Guardian World1 min read
‘A profoundly distressing milestone’: record number of deaths in custody and police operations in NSW
TL;DR
New South Wales recorded a record 66 deaths in custody and police operations last year, with 39 occurring in custody. A significant portion of these deaths were attributed to self-harm, particularly hanging, and included a record number of First Nations individuals.
Key points
- Record 66 deaths in custody and police operations in NSW last year
- 39 deaths occurred in custody, including 12 First Nations individuals
- 22% of deaths in custody were due to self-harm
- Hanging was the most common method of self-harm
- Efforts to remove ligature points have been made
Mentioned in this story
New South WalesState Coroners Court
There were a record number of New South Wales deaths in custody and police operations last year, with almost a quarter of prisoner deaths recorded as self-harm, a coroners court report states.
Of those who killed themselves, most were by hanging, despite millions being invested to remove ligature points.
The state coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, released her annual deaths in custody and police operations report on Thursday. It found 66 deaths in custody and as a result of police operations were reported last year – 18 more people than in 2024.
Thirty-nine of the deaths were in custody. Of those, 12 were First Nations people, which was a record high figure.
Nine of the 39 deaths in custody were reported as intentional self-harm. All but one of them died by hanging, making up 22% of the total deaths.
Last June, a Guardian Australia investigation revealed that nationally, at least 57 inmates had died in 19 separate prisons using hanging points that authorities knew about but failed to remove, often despite repeated suicides and stark warnings from coroners.
In response to questions during that investigation, Corrective Services NSW said it had invested $16m to make prisons “safer” by removing ligature points.
“This has included the removal of ligature points from almost 800 cells, as well as replacing cell doors, grills, beds, basins and tapware. An additional 145 cells are expected to be completed by July 2025,” they said.
On Friday, a government spokesperson said the work to remove ligature points under the program was ongoing.
Last October, O’Sullivan released a rare statement announcing the state had already hit the record number of 12 Indigenous deaths in custody with three months still left in the year.
Q&A
What was the total number of deaths in custody in New South Wales last year?
There were 66 deaths in custody and as a result of police operations reported last year in New South Wales.
How many First Nations people died in custody in NSW last year?
Twelve First Nations people died in custody last year, which is a record high figure.
What percentage of deaths in custody were due to self-harm in NSW?
Twenty-two percent of the deaths in custody were reported as intentional self-harm.
What methods were most commonly used for self-harm in custody in NSW?
Most self-harm deaths in custody were by hanging, despite efforts to remove ligature points.
